Company files cybersquatting lawsuit, alleges Atom logo is similar to its own

Medical interview platform uses the term for part of the brain as its brand.

A medical education interview platform has sued to get the domain thalamus.com, citing a logo used on an Atom.com listing as evidence of infringement.

SJ Medconnect, Inc., which does business as Thalamus, filed an in rem lawsuit (pdf) against the domain name, alleging a violation of the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA).

The company has trademarks for Thalamus dating to 2017, and claims the domain changed hands in 2023. Historical Whois records show the domain was owned by a well-known domain investor at the time, but was transferred to a different registrar (Moniker) and is under Whois privacy.

Thalamus said it has monitored the domain over time and became concerned when it started resolving to a for-sale lander on Atom.com with a logo similar to its own.

In the graphic below, the plaintiff’s logo is on the top, and the domain’s logo is on the bottom:

While the logos certainly share similarities, it’s worth noting that thalamus is a dictionary term for a part of the brain. Images in the Wayback Machine show that last year, before forwarding to the Atom lander, the domain resolved to a page with a stylized image of a brain.

The domain’s Atom listing includes a description related to AI and neuroscience. The domain is listed for sale under the ultra-premium category for $575,000.

Thalamus said it tried to contact the domain owner before filing the lawsuit, but did not hear back. For some reason, it sent its email to abuse@moniker.com rather than the Whois privacy email address for this specific domain.